COLOMBO: Textured Jersey Lanka PLC (TJL) recorded its highest ever annual net profit of Rs.1.3bn for the year ended 31st March 2015, an increase of 16% year-on-year. This result was achieved on the back of a Rs. 512mn net profit for the quarter ended 31stMarch 2015, representing an impressive 46% year-on-year increase. According to Bill Lam, chairman of Textured Jersey, the strong quarterly performance enabled the company conclude the year with a record profit despite the slowdown in sales experienced in the early part of the year, attributed to unusual and extreme weather conditions in the United States.
TJL reported Rs.3.8bn in sales for 4Q FY2014/15, up 16% year-on-year. As per the statement released, this was mainly due to demand from its main customers being back on track. Additionally, Lam explained that improved demand conditions coupled with recently added capacity enabled TJL to optimize capacity utilisation and product mix to achieve gross profit margins of 15% for 4Q FY 2014/15 compared to 12% during the same quarter of last year. This in turn allowed the company to increase its gross profit by 45% to Rs.583mn for 4Q FY2014/15 and drive its annual gross profit to Rs.1.6bn, up 11% compared to the year before.
The statement further noted that the strong performance at gross profit level allowed TJL to post an operating profit of approximately Rs. 476mn for 4Q FY 2014/15,recording a 52% year-on-year growth at the operating profit level. TJL’s annual operating profit for the year ended 31st March 2015 came in at Rs.1.2bn, 14% higher year-on-year. Talking about the balance sheet, Lam mentioned that TJL continued to maintain its near debt-free balance sheet as at 31stMarch 2015, with anet cash position of Rs.1.9bn. Additionally, the chairman explained that the lower interest rates, combined with a marginally lower cash position versus a year before led to net finance income dropping to Rs.14mn for 4Q FY2014/15.
